Free Radicals in Exhaustive Physical Exercise: Mechanism of Production, and Protection by Antioxidants

Abstract

SummaryModerate exercise is a healthy practice. However, exhaustive exercise generates free radicals. This can be evidenced by increases in lipid peroxidation, glutathione oxidation, and oxidative protein damage. It is well known that activity of cytosolic enzymes in blood plasma is increased after exhaustive exercise. This may be taken as a sign of damage to muscle cells. The degree of oxidative stress and of muscle damage does not depend on the absolute intensity of exercise but on the degree of exhaustion of the person who performs exercise. Training partially prevents free radical-formation in exhaustive exercise. Treatment with antioxidants such as vitamins C or E protects in part against free radical-mediated damage in exercise. Xanthine oxidase is involved in free-radical formation in exercise in humans and inhibition of this enzyme with allopurinol decreases oxidative stress and muscle damage associated with exhaustive exercise. Knowledge of the mechanism of free-radical formation in exercise is important because it will be useful to prevent oxidative stress and damage associated with exhaustive physical activity. IUBMB Life, 50: 271 -277, 2000

Adaptogenic and central nervous system effects of single doses of 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside Rhodiola rosea L. extract in mice

“…Indeed, it is known that exercise generates free radicals when it is exhaustive (Vina et al, 2000) and that R. rosea is rich in phenolic compounds that can protect the nervous system from oxidative damage by such free radicals (Kelly, 2001;Brown et al, 2002).…”

Evaluation by blue native polyacrylamide electrophoresis colorimetric staining of the effects of physical exercise on the activities of mitochondrial complexes in rat muscle

“…Conflicting results regarding the effect and the role of exhaustive physical exercise on mitochondria and their production of ROS have been reported in the literature (13,16,22,33,34). It seems that ROS play a primordial role in altering mitochondrial function in a variety of patho-physiological conditions (35), and in physical exercise situations mitochondrial alterations seem to depend on exercise schedule, previous training and Table 4.…”

The effects of gender and exercise on malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and total glutathione levels in rat liver

“…Whether oxidative damage occurs in response to acute exercise depends on the intensity of the exercise. High-intensity acute exercise causes more oxidative damage than lowintensity exercise (Lovlin et al, 1987), an effect that is especially true when an individual is not accustomed to either the intensity or the duration of the exercise (Viña et al, 2000). The amount of oxidative damage caused by exercise can differ between various tissues and organs (Liu et al, 2002).…”

“…Despite the many known health benefits of exercise, there is strong evidence suggesting that exhaustive and/or strenuous exercise can cause oxidative stress in both animals and humans (Ji, 1995;Viña et al, 2000). Exercise-induced free radical production is lower during low-intensity exercise than during high-intensity exercise.…”